Bee-ing Busy - Byrd Puffenbarger

A dual career as a minister and a bricklayer have kept the Rev. Byrd Puffenbarger busy - almost as busy as the bees he keeps.

The Staunton nativestudied music in his hometown and later worked his way through Union Wesleyan College in Allentown, Pa., by laying bricks and singing in a men's chorus.

He served an apprenticeship in bricklaying under his father-in-law, who was a master bricklayer, and it's an occupation he has kept through his more than 45 years as a minister.

Puffenbarger and his wife, Grace, came to King and Queen County in July 1942. He was pastor of Beulah Charge, which included two churches in King and Queen and one in Middlesex.

"At that time, the churches were known as Pilgrim Holiness but merged in 1968 with the Wesleyan Methodist and then became just Wesleyan churches."

His wife has taught music through the years and also served as his organist and secretary. "We work together," he says.

He retired from the active ministry in 1987. The last 14 years of his career were as pastor of New Point Friends Church in Mathews County. During this time, his ordination was changed from the Wesleyan to the Friends Church.

"They are very much alike," he says.

He has always lived in the Shacklefords area. While serving at Beulah, the church gave him a lot nearby and he helped build the early American brick home where he and his wife now live.

"I've kept my hand in bricklaying, instead of playing golf. It's fascinating work. I would take my vacation and brick up a house and I've designed and built a lot of signs for churches and schools in the area."

He has been keeping bees for more than 40 years. "It started as a hobby with just one hive and then I'd add another." He took courses and read everything he could find on the subject. He has also taught beekeeping at Rappahannock Community College.

He has about a dozen hives now and sells some of the honey to regular customers who like to buy it in the comb.

"It's hard to find that way and it's a little more trouble. The big commercial companies just extract the honey from the comb. I could take it to a store and sell it all at one time but I have my customers." Surplus honey is left in the hive for the bees to use during the winter.

Puffenbarger marvels at the precision of the hive.

"It's an organization and every bee has a job. The combs are made up of six-sided cells that never vary."

The bees store honey in the combs and in another chamber of the hive store the eggs that will become the next generation of bees.